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What's New
New TEC Consultations | New TEC Publications | Federal Announcements | Organizational Announcements New TEC Consultations- Internet Resources For Building Community-Agency Collaborations
The Evaluation Center@HSRI received a request from a county mental health advisory board looking for internet resources they could draw from to develop a plan to strengthen collaboration between town-directed social services and state-funded mental health services. While there is relatively little material on collaboration involving mental health services specifically, a variety of more general collaboration resources are readily available online. This memo identifies and reviews a selection of these resources, as well as an especially helpful print resource for planning and carrying out retreats.
View the consultation memo [back to top]
New TEC Publications- Measuring the Promise: A Compendium of Recovery Measures, Volume II (PN-55)
Theodora Campbell-Orde, M.P.A., Judi Chamberlin, Jenneth Carpenter, M.S.W., & H. Stephen Leff, Ph.D.
This compendium offers an update to PN-43, Can We Measure Recovery? A Compendium of Recovery and Recovery-Related Instruments (Ralph, Kidder, & Phillips, 2000). Following a discussion of the need for recovery measures, Volume II offers a synopsis of the November 2004 invitational conference Measuring the Promise: Assessing Recovery and Self-Determination Instruments for Evidence-Based Practices. Reviews of the instruments themselves follow this section. The instruments are divided into two categories: measures of individual recovery and measures of recovery-promoting environments. Volume II concludes with recommendations for further developments in the measurement of recovery. - Making the Grade: A Review and Comparison of Selected Evidence Grading Systems (OT-15)
H. Stephen Leff, Ph.D., Jeremy Conley, B.A., Shekinah Elmore, B.A.
Assessing the evidence produced by evaluations of interventions is at the heart of moving towards evidence-based practice. In collaboration with the National Research Council, the Evaluation Center@HSRI has written Making the Grade: A Review and Comparison of Selected Evidence-Grading Systems, a resource for anyone interested in the evidence-grading process. This material describes and compares key features and mechanisms of influential evidence-grading systems in behavioral health fields, and provides an introduction to the needs for evidence-grading and the principles behind the process. - Schizophrenia and Suicide: A Public Health Problem (FF-17)
Dow Wieman, Ph.D., Senior Research Associate, the Evaluation Center@HSRI
Recognizing that suicide is a multidimensional problem, SAMSHA and other groups have funded suicide prevention interventions tailored to different populations. This feature article details a method that the Evaluation Center has developed using a process pioneered by Professor Bruce Dembling of the University of Virginia to measure the proportion of suicides that can be attributed to serious mental illness. Using schizophrenia as an example, this method links state and mental health agency death records to mental health consumer files. The toolkit "Linking Mental Health Consumer Files with State Death Records: A Guide to Obtaining and Using Mortality Information to Evaluate the Needs and Outcomes of Consumer Populations" can be found at (PN-42).
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Federal Announcements- SAMHSA Offers New Behavioral Health Workforce Resources
Two online resources now available by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) will help mental health and substance abuse professionals to organize and strengthen efforts around workforce development.
"Action Plan for Behavioral Health Workforce Development" provides an overview of key findings of a multi-year process that showed how public and private collaboration by diverse stakeholders can strengthen the behavioral health workforce. This Action Plan articulates specific, actionable objectives to assist the Nation in transforming the behavioral health service delivery systems.
"Strengthening Professional Identity: Challenges of the Addictions Treatment Workforce" summarizes trends in addictions treatment that will help mental health and substance abuse professionals understand the challenges facing the addictions treatment workforce. This report addressed issues of recruitment, retention and staff development and provides recommendations for improving management, recruitment, education and accreditation, retention, and workforce infrastructure.
Both publications are available on the Web at http://www.samhsa.gov/matrix2/matrix_workforce.aspx. For related publications and information, visit http://www.samhsa.gov/.
After reviewing these publications, please feel free to discuss them on the following TEC bulletin board: http://www.tecathsri.org/bb/viewtopic.php?t=337. - SAMHSA Launches Searchable Database of Evidence-Based Practices in Prevention and Treatment of Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders
The new National Registry of Evidence-based Programs and Practices (NREPP) is now available, greatly expanding the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's efforts to help local organizations make informed decisions about evidence-based interventions for the prevention and treatment of mental health and substance use disorders.
NREPP http://www.nrepp.samhsa.gov is a searchable database with up-to-date, reliable information on the scientific basis and practicality of interventions. Users, such as community organizations and state and local officials, can perform custom searches to identify specific interventions based upon desired outcomes, target populations and service settings.
After visiting the new NREPP, please feel free to discuss this resource on the following TEC bulletin board: http://www.tecathsri.org/bb/viewtopic.php?t=335.
- SAMHSA Resource Center to Address Discrimination and Stigma Associated with Mental Illness (ADS Center) Offers Archived Teleconference Recordings and Presentations
The SAMHSA Resource Center to Address Discrimination and Stigma Associated with Mental Illness (ADS Center), a program of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Center for Mental Health Services, hosts approximately six free training teleconferences annually. These events generally consist of two or more formal presentations followed by an open forum. Participants present and discuss the most up-to-date research and information about stigma and stigma-reduction programs and topics, as well as share experiences and expertise on efforts to counteract discrimination and stigma associated with mental illness.
Since scheduling conflicts often prevent many stakeholders from joining in the live events, the teleconference trainings are archived online for individuals or groups to utilize at their convenience. To download complete presentations and listen to the audio recordings, visit the ADS Center Web site at http://www.stopstigma.samhsa.gov/archtel.htm.
Some of the teleconference topics are:
- Overcoming Barriers and the Stigma Associated With Mental Illness In Rural Communities,
- Transition to Adulthood: Strategies for Overcoming Stigma and Achieving Positive Outcomes for Young Adults,
- Stigma in the Military: Strategies for Reducing Stigma Among Veterans and Active Duty Personnel,
- Overcoming Barriers and the Stigma Associated with Mental Illness in Asian American/Pacific Islander (AA/PI), American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN), and African American Communities, and
- Addressing Stigma and Discrimination Toward Older Adults
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Organizational Announcements- National Mental Health Consumers' Self-Help Clearinghouse Offers Evaluation Assistance
The National Mental Health Consumers' Self-Help Clearinghouse, with funding and technical assistance from the National Research and Training Center on Psychiatric Disability at the University of Illinois at Chicago and in association with the UPenn Collaborative on Community Integration, is seeking consumer-operated services programs (COSPs) that are interested in augmenting their internal evaluation and program planning capacity.
Peer-run programs in operation longer than two years that meet both of the following criteria are invited to apply for no/low-cost training and consultation in conducting program evaluations to aid in the development of evidence-based practices in support of the COSP purpose: (1) program administration and primary activities are independent of provider organizations, and (2) consumers control its board of directors, staff, and budget (Clay, 2005) .
Consumer-operated programs that have available resources and the time to devote to engaging in evidence-based evaluations may apply for one of the following types of assistance: 1. Brief technical assistance 2. Intensive focused consultation, or 3. Less intensive multi-program training and limited consultation.
Consultations will include assistance with the following and more:
- Articulate program mission and activities
- Categorize expected and actual program outcomes and outputs
- Identify outcome indicators
- Find appropriate evaluation measures and methodologies
- Acquire techniques for collecting, managing, analyzing and interpreting data
- Develop strategies for presenting evaluation results
Application review and program selection will begin in May 2007. We will continue to accept applications over the next 12 months. Programs selected for consultation will be notified within two months of receipt of application.
For proposal specifications, please contact Debbie Plotnick, MSS, MLSP, LSW at dplotnick@mhasp.org or 1-800-553-4539, extension 344.
- National Coalition of Mental Health Consumer/Survivor Organizations (NCMHCSO) Newly Formed
Mental health consumers/survivors have formed the National Coalition of Mental Health Consumer/Survivor Organizations (NCMHCSO) to ensure that they play a major role in the development and implementation of health and mental health care and social policies at the state and national levels. Steering committee members include Lauren Spiro, Carole Glover, Kathy Muscari, Joseph A. Rogers, Sally Zinman, Dan Fisher, Effie Smith, Linda Corey, Mike Finkle and Doug DeVoe.
For additional information, visit http://www.ncmhcso.org/index.htm, send email to info@ncmhcso.org or call Lauren Spiro at 978-590-2014.
(Source: "Mental Health Consumers/Survivors Create National Coalition," 9/6/06 Press Release, http://www.ncmhcso.org/index.htm).
- The Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation Offers Online Seminar "Research Issues For Mental Health Consumers/Survivors"
"The online seminar lectures are designed to help mental health consumer/survivors to begin to acquire a basic literacy in research concepts and terms. It is intended to help consumer/survivors to appreciate the importance of research in their lives and to become aware of the possible roles they might play in a research project.
The online lectures will include information about some of the types, tools, and principles in good research. Consumer/survivors are encouraged to be curious about possible research questions, about ways to improve the research process, and about the results of any research they might participate in. Numerous links and additional resource lists are provided if the individual seminar participant should wish to get more in-depth information about the various aspects of research."
More information is available at http://www.bu.edu/cpr/training/distance/seminars/researchissuesdescription.html.
- NASMHPD's National Technical Assistance Center Releases "Mental Health Recovery: What Helps and What Hinders? A National Research Project for the Development of Recovery Facilitating System Performance Indicators"
The National Technical Assistance Center for State Mental Health Planning (NTAC) at the National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors (NASMHPD) recently released a technical report from Phase II of the National Research Project for the Development of Recovery Facilitating System Performance Indicators. This report covers the development of the Recovery Oriented System Indicators (ROSI) measures to advance mental health system transformation and can be found at both of the links below.
http://www.nasmhpd.org/publications.cfm#techreports
http://www.nasmhpd.org/general_files/publications/ntac_pubs/Phase%20II%20Mental%20Health%20Recovery.pdf - NAMI Releases "Grading the States 2006: A Report on America's Health Care System for Serious Mental Illness"
The United States gets a D grade in helping adults with serious mental illnesses, according to the first comprehensive, state-by-state analysis of mental healthcare systems in 15 years. The 230-page report, including individual state narratives and scoring tables, is available online at http://www.nami.org/grades. The report calls on states to make smarter investment choices through proven, cost-effective practices, and to link taxpayer funding to performance and individual outcomes. The Evaluation Center@HSRI assisted NAMI in developing the methodology for this report. Please share your comments on this report here.
- Improving Mental Healthcare: A Guide to Measurement-Based Quality Improvement Available from CQAIMH
American Psychiatric Press has published a new book, Improving Mental Healthcare: A Guide to Measurement-Based Quality Improvement from Richard C. Hermann, M.D., M.S., at the Center for Quality Assessment and Improvement in Mental Health (CQAIMH), Tufts University School of Medicine.
Improving Mental Healthcare describes approaches to measuring the basic processes of care: prevention, access, assessment, treatment, continuity, coordination, and safety. It will be useful to clinicians, managers, researchers, payers, purchasers, accreditors, consumer groups, and other stakeholders seeking to respond to nationwide calls for better healthcare, including imperatives established in the Institute of Medicine's recent report on the quality chasm in mental health care.
Further information on Improving Mental Healthcare can be found at www.cqaimh.org/ImprovingMHcare.htm.
This book expands upon the information found in the toolkit Selecting Process Measures for Quality Improvement in Mental Healthcare by Richard C. Hermann, M.D., M.S., H. Stephen Leff, Ph.D., and Greta Lagodmos, B.A., and is available for free from the Evaluation Center@HSRI. This toolkit is a resource for identifying and selecting process measures for use in quality assessment and improvement activities. The toolkit includes guidance for using the National Inventory of Mental Health Quality Measures, an interactive database of single item process measures of quality available at www.cqaimh.org/quality.html.
To download a free electronic version of Selecting Process Measures for Quality Improvement in Mental Healthcare, go to http://www.tecathsri.org/search_products.asp.
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